CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

32.67° N · 107.17° W · GEOID 3557990

Placitas

Doña Ana County, New Mexico · part of the Las Cruces, NM metro

Limited data population under 5,000, core figures borrowed from county or metro: median_gross_rent, median_home_value

New MexicoPlacitas, NMPlacitasPlacitas

The short answer

Placitas is home to 516 people. Median household income is $14,907 a year and median rent is $934 a month, 75.2% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). That is above the usual 30% line for cost burden. The median home is valued at $220,800, about 14.8x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$934
32% below the median place
Median household income
$14,907
81% below the median place
Median home value
$220,800
31% below the median place
Unemployment
6.8%
38% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Placitas

  • The median household earns $14,907 a year, less than in 99% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 46 New Mexico places.
  • 0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a smaller share than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 46 New Mexico places.
  • 90.5% of residents live below the poverty line, more than in 99% of places its size. It is the highest of 42 New Mexico places.
  • The median rent takes 75.2% of the median household's income, a bigger share than in 99% of places its size. It is the highest of 46 New Mexico places.
  • Renters occupy 100% of homes, more than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 46 New Mexico places.
01

Moving to Placitas

Doña Ana County gains about 0.3 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in8,937
Moved out8,887
Net+50

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within New Mexico, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within New MexicoOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$54K
Leavers$52K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Doña Ana County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
6.8% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 3.9% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Doña Ana County report $53,800 a year in income on average; those leaving, $52,000.
Income you would need
$37,400 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $934 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,442 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $220,800.
Getting to work
23 minutes each way on average; 0.0% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Mila Doce, TX matches it on character. Compare the two
Income of households moving out7
$51,959
26% below the median place
Moved from another state1
3.9%
95% above the median place
Income of households moving in7
$53,759
24% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasurePlacitasAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure6.8%18% above
Moved from another state1County figure3.9%95% above
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure0.3above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$53,75924% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$51,95926% below
02

What it costs to live here

Homeownership is 0.0%, below the median place (median 66.4%).

Placitas75.2%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$37,360
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
75.2%
269% above the median place
Home price to income
14.8x
290% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
75%
well over the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$4,000
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Placitas, $934 a month, and local prices for everything else (95.8 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Placitas.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Placitas? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Homeownership1
0.0%
below the median place (median 66.4%)
Median year built1
2011
2% above the median place
Property tax rate1
0.7%
26% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasurePlacitasAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1County figure$93432% below
Rent to income175.2%269% above
Property tax rate10.7%26% below
Home price to income114.8x290% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure90.211% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,07334% below
HUD area median income4County figure$79,90026% below
Property tax paid (median)1County figure$1,48055% below
Median home value1County figure$220,80031% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure1.9%41% below
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure51.3%0% below
Homeownership10.0%below (median 66.4%)
Renters paying 30%+1County figure54.4%7% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1County figure$1,44223% below
Vacant homes1County figure8.2%16% above
Median year built120112% above
03

Work and pay

Median household income is $14,907, 81% below the median place.

Median household income1
$14,907
81% below the median place
Income per person1
$6,255
84% below the median place
Poverty rate1
90.5%
above the median place (median 10.8%)
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasurePlacitasAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$14,90781% below
Income per person1$6,25584% below
Unemployment1County figure6.8%38% above
Average annual pay6County figure$52,23621% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure4.5%22% above
Jobs6County figure81,83446% below
Poverty rate190.5%above (median 10.8%)
Mean commute1County figure23 min8% below
Works from home10.0%below (median 12.4%)
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Bachelor's or higher is 0.0%, below the median place (median 32.1%).

Bachelor's or higher1
0.0%
below the median place (median 32.1%)
Median age1
19.4
50% below the median place
No health insurance1
20.9%
227% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Homes with broadband83.9% −9%
Household size3.1 +23%
Born abroad19.2% 2.2×
All 8 people measures
MeasurePlacitasAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population15166646th largest
Median age119.450% below
Bachelor's or higher10.0%below (median 32.1%)
High school or higher1County figure83.4%10% below
Household size13.123% above
Born abroad119.2%117% above
No health insurance120.9%227% above
Homes with broadband183.9%9% below
05

Life in Placitas

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars14.5 −30%
Shops23.8 −21%
Arts, recreation and fitness1.7 −59%
Doctors' offices and clinics18.9 −6%
Child care centers2.5 +9%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8
1.7
59% below the median place
Restaurants and bars per 10k8
14.5
30% below the median place
Shops per 10k8
23.8
21% below the median place
All 8 schools and local life measures
MeasurePlacitasAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools9County figure78above (median 9)
Public school students9County figure36,561above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher9County figure14.28% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure14.530% below
Shops per 10k8County figure23.821% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure1.759% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure18.96% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure2.59% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Annual precipitation is 9.9 in, 77% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Placitas. Larger places are fetched first.

Annual precipitation10
9.9 in
77% below the median place
Good air days12
27.4%
60% below the median place
Median air quality index12
61
42% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasurePlacitasAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high10County figure94°F9% above
January average low10County figure29°F13% above
Average temperature10County figure62°F13% above
Annual precipitation10County figure9.9 in77% below
Natural hazard risk11County figure96.14% above
Hurricane risk11County figure36.548% below
Tornado risk11County figure20.575% below
Wildfire risk11County figure86.641% above
Heat wave risk11County figure94.65% above
Median air quality index12Metro figure6142% above
Good air days12Metro figure27.4%60% below
08

Placitas in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 35% of the median income in 2030, down from 37% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$462/mo (2024)$580/mo$470 to $700/mo+3.8%
Median household income$14,907 (2023)$20,000$16,500 to $24,000+4.2%

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Placitas

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Mila Doce, TX$640$50,921Compare
Arvin, CA$1,122$49,183Compare
East Bakersfield, CA$1,090$38,644Compare
Benton Park, CA$1,243$49,717Compare
Benton Park, CAEast Bakersfield, CAArvin, CAMila Doce, TXPlacitas, NMPlacitasMila DoceArvinPlacitasMila DoceArvin

Common questions

Is Placitas a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. The median household earns $14,907 a year, less than in 99% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 46 New Mexico places. 0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a smaller share than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 46 New Mexico places. On cost, space and class size it scores 1 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Placitas expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 75.2% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $220,800.

What salary do you need to live in Placitas?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $37,360 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Placitas?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Mila Doce, TX, Arvin, CA, East Bakersfield, CA and Benton Park, CA.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  10. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  11. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  12. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Placitas with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Placitas itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/placitas-dona-ana-county-new-mexico

Citytistics. “Placitas, New Mexico.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/placitas-dona-ana-county-new-mexico/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.